St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-03-31
BEACH BELIEVED BEECHER.

Here is some curious port mOrtem
evidence for Beecher, though 1T Is not
of IA nature to receive judicial consid-
Grafton, since it consists simply OF the
opipion of TilUOn's chief lawyer IN the
great scandal trial that the defendant
was innocent. That counsel was VIM.
A. Beach, now dead. At the time of
the Tilton suit, he had lately removed
to New York from Troy, where he had
been for years a leader at the bar; but
i'm the metropolis he was unknown to
the general public, and was DESTROYS
of greater fame than his quiet but lu-
crative business as an attorney for sew
eral railroads gave to him. He was
gifted with singular elOquence, and he
thought that he saw, in this Beecher
matter, the opportunity of his life. He
knew Tilton personally, and believed
in the truth of his grievance. so he
took the case with very small prospect
of pecuniary recOmpense, but willing
to exert himself for glory. Your cor
RESPONDENT is now able to tell that.
before the six months of the trial were
over. Beach was convinced that Beech
err was guiltless. The authorities for
this statement are ex-COngressman
Martin |. Townsend and Irving
Browne. They say that Beach declar-
ed to them his firm belief in Beecher's
goodness. Townsend is Troy lawyer
of eminence and the utmost prObity.
"Beach started in with Il full faith that
TiltOn had a sound case," he says, "but
the trial was not half over before he
changed his mind. relate this with
ont assuming what the truth was, but
simply tell how Beach regarded it,"
Irving Browne was formerly of Troy,
but now lives at Albany. He is Il law
yer, a literary writer and an old friend
to the deceased Beach. He quotes
TitOn's cOunsels as saying to him {:
awe were IA pack of hounds trying to
run lion down. Beecher's own te>ti-
cent of the charge which TiltOn had
made. That is not saying that TiltOn
did not believe his own accusatiOn-On
the contrary, he did but we were all
mistaken" Inquiry among the init
mate friends of Beecher reveals the
fact that Beach's conversion to this
view was known to several, and sur
missed by others. The two men con-
ceived strong liking for each other
in court. Beecher liked Beach's per-
SOHdllty, anu OSpCOh"iiJ hio Oi"'O.
One of the earlier episodes of the trial
was bitter excoriation of the preacher
by the lawyer, in which he was liken-
ed to the guilty pastor in Hawthorne's
"Scarlet Letter." 1t was u fervid
piece of imprisoned speaking, and no.
body listened to it with intenser at
tention than Beecher. Turning to Col.
Horatio c. King, he said-to that par
tisan's establishment: "Isn't he SPLEEN
did orator." Beach and Beecher were
introduced to each other Il few days
later 10y William M. Evarts in the
court room, but not in the presence of
the jury. 1t was on il day when an ice
blockade in the river prevented the ar
rival of witnesses, and an intermlsslOn
was taken. They chatted awhile
pleasantly, and each told anecdotes of
experience as public speakers. But
Beach's final address to the jury,
though conscientious plea for his
clients cause, lacked the fire of the
mentioned speech. The two men
met many times afterward and ex-
changed visits.